The Resurrection of Sonoma State

[TrophyKing80]

Quote: Originally Posted by SilverBullet19

New Look, New Faces, New Schemes: A Look at the Sonoma State Football Spring Game The Seawolves see multiple changes heading into 2023, and leave a lot of questions at the end of Spring Football | A look into what next season will bring By Lisa Wheeler, Football Beat Writer Posted April 17th, 2023 Rohnert Park, CA - Spring Football came to a conclusion yesterday with the annual Blue & White game at Lakeside Stadium, and the match left many wondering how successful the Seawolves would be in 2023. The team has seen a lot of changes, and were here to take a look. New Look At the forefront of the show was the indication that Sonoma State will have new uniforms in 2023. Although the spring game was played in practice jerseys, the offense was wearing navy blue and the defense was in white. Over the past decade, the offense has worn the light blue shade that everyone has come to know. The offense was wearing the traditional white helmet, but the defense was in a new, navy blue helmet. Sonoma State last wore navy blue helmets in the 1990’s, in the days of Larry Allen and up until 1996, when the program was discontinued. Coach Wright said the team will have new uniforms, inspired by those of the 1990’s and before it. Although the uniform is yet to be revealed, Wright said “We still have a combination allowing our light blues and whites, as most people recognize. We no longer, however, have the light blue helmets. We have two sets, white and navy, that’s it. We are still working out the kinks on design, but uniforms this year will have an inspiration from teams of the past.” 2023 marks Sonoma State’s 10th anniversary as full FBS members, as they were in a transition in 2013. What’s hot: The running game With the departure of quarterback Mike Jennings, the Seawolves may need to lean on their running game. It looks like they could easily do that, as A.C. Sonora and Alika Kalama both shined in the spring game. Sonora came into the game at a bulked up 220 pounds, and is looking to have the makings of a versatile power running back. Kalama, on the other hand, came in looking quicker than ever. He appears to have picked up even more speed in the offseason. What’s not: Quarterbacks The only returning quarterback on the roster from 2022 is Brice Houston. Although he has excellent targets in Dietrich Highland and Damien Myers, he does not seem to command the same passing respect we have seen the past few years. He looked decent in spring ball, but struggled with his accuracy. Incoming freshman Wesson Havenkamp, who came to campus a semester early, looked terrible. Havenkamp missed a lot of passes in the spring game, and it looked like he was butting heads with coaches. Havenkamp was seen yelling at offensive coordinator Brian Givens, and eventually kicked off the field by head coach Scott Wright with just one series remaining in the game. Houston finished the spring game playing quarterback for both teams. It leaves a lot of questions regarding Havenkamp’s character, and whether or not he will be the big shot many expect. Havenkamp yelled back at coaches “I’m a [expletive] redshirt, you’re redshirting me, got it!?” Coach Wright refused to comment on the incident after the game. Breakout Star: Receiver Johnny Ridgeway Ridgeway was a redshirt in 2022, and got a lot of action at the slot receiver position in the spring game. He is our pick as the breakout star in 2023. He has great size and speed, and always seems to find a way to get open. He had 7 catches during the spring game, for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns. New Defense The Seawolves operated in a 4-3 defense for the entire spring game, as it looks like they have scrapped the 3-4 from 2022 that allowed some big holes in the running game. The Seawolves have a strong defensive line, which may be a catalyst for the change. Jeff Johnson, a middle linebacker the past three years, saw a lot of reps at outside linebacker. He may make the move outside to see the field more as a senior. Other Changes The Seawolves will have a new face at tight end to replace the departed Brent Keystone. It looks like the man for the job is junior Martee Smith. Smith had a limited role in 2022 as a juco transfer, but did well. He hauled in 11 catches for 176 yards, and has exceptional speed for the position. The secondary also sees a lot of movement, as the entire starting group graduated. Sophomores Scott Evans and Mike Crawford appear to be the starters at cornerback, while juniors Paul Roth and Ryan Jones are at the safety positions. Evans was an All-American as a freshman in 2022, while Crawford was a redshirt. Roth and Jones were backups to Ryan Parker and All-American Dee Foster, respectively. The secondary had several miscommunications, and gave up some big plays. Worth noting, no player was wearing number 5. Ryan Newhall, the best receiver in school and arguably NCAA History, wore the number his entire career. It is widely speculated that the number is set to be retired. In all, there were a lot of changes for spring as the Seawolves prepare for the 2023 season. With a long wait for fall camp, there will be a lot of speculation if the Seawolves can field a successful team.

Love the QB battle and the building of character!

[SilverBullet19]

Quote: Originally Posted by TrophyKing80

Love the QB battle and the building of character!

Thanks bro! Havenkamp has turned out to be a bit of an entitled jerk

[beast10]

should be an interesting season

your squad looks a lot like my current cathedral team. pretty good team but hen a bunch of inexperienced quarterbacks whose performance you’ll live and die from on a weekly basis. we could have our ground game working, but if the pass isn’t there, we’re in trouble.

i would say hopefully you can piece it together, but this will probably be a good opportunity for you to revive the challenge in this. also hyped about the new uniforms. i know that was the major turning point for me in my dynasty

i’ll stay tuned as usual!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SilverBullet19]

Quote: Originally Posted by beast10

should be an interesting season your squad looks a lot like my current cathedral team. pretty good team but hen a bunch of inexperienced quarterbacks whose performance you’ll live and die from on a weekly basis. we could have our ground game working, but if the pass isn’t there, we’re in trouble. i would say hopefully you can piece it together, but this will probably be a good opportunity for you to revive the challenge in this. also hyped about the new uniforms. i know that was the major turning point for me in my dynasty i’ll stay tuned as usual! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank bro, glad you're on board! I know as a gamer it can get a bit dull going through such successful seasons with back-to-back titles, and I can only imagine it is even more boring for someone following lol. Your Cathedral one is awesome, it's amazing you have kept such a good challenge.

I welcome the new challenges, especially at quarterback and with the new sliders. 2023 should be an interesting one for sure. I'm excited to debut some new uniforms. I think eventually I may go back to my old ones, the striping and look is just refined and classic looking, but I'm really happy to change it up.


Thank you for checking in, I'm excited to get it going.

[Bigsheen]

I finally got caught up, congrats on the Natty! I haven’t won achampionship in years on this game cuz for some reason I enjoy losing? Haha either way, your presentation has really taken off and it’s super easy to keep up with.

That defensive line looks fierce and I think the move to the 4-3 is the best thing for the Seawolves because that offense is goin to be suspect this year.

As I’m sure you don’t suspect another title, what would you consider a strong season with a freshman QB but experience everywhere else? 10-2? 9-3?

Looking forward to more!

[SilverBullet19]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bigsheen

I finally got caught up, congrats on the Natty! I haven’t won achampionship in years on this game cuz for some reason I enjoy losing? Haha either way, your presentation has really taken off and it’s super easy to keep up with. That defensive line looks fierce and I think the move to the 4-3 is the best thing for the Seawolves because that offense is goin to be suspect this year. As I’m sure you don’t suspect another title, what would you consider a strong season with a freshman QB but experience everywhere else? 10-2? 9-3? Looking forward to more!

Thanks man, I appreciate the kind words! I've had a lot of time recently to work on presentation, and I'm happy to get feedback on it. I'm still working out some kinks for the game previews to clean it up a bit.

I'm definitely more comfortable in a 4-3, so I have high hopes for it. I am happy to get Jeff Johnson in the action more. As for the season, I can see 8 wins being considered a success considering all the changes and freshman QB's. Anything else I would consider overachieving, which isn't bad obviously lol.

Thank you for catching up and for the feedback man!

Got the game done, update incoming!

[SilverBullet19]

The Backs Keep Runnin Runnin & Runnin Runnin: #2 Seawolves Rely on the Running Game to Defeat #19 Arizona State 45-41
Seawolves mount game winning drive to avoid a road upset | A.C. Sonora plays the hero with 5 total touchdowns | Sonora and Kalama combine for a staggering 300 yards | Seawolves defense still looks to be porous against the run, giving up 332 yards | Quarterback controversy swirls as Houston gets pulled in the 3rd quarter
By Trent Hatmenn, Football Beat Writer
Posted August 26th, 2023

A.C. Sonora celebrates his first touchdown of the year with his teammates, the first of 5 on the day for him

Tempe, AZ - It wasn’t pretty, nor was it easy, and it actually was a stressful situation for anyone watching, but the Seawolves pulled off consecutive win number 42 on the road. The game showed some serious strengths, but also big weak spots in the Sonoma State team. Meanwhile, Arizona State looked to be worthy of their #19 overall ranking coming into the season.

The first quarter was slow for both teams, with missed blocks and penalties resulting in an early defensive battle. It’s to be expected in the first game of the season, as both teams learn on the go. Sonoma State scrapped together a short drive from the Arizona State 46, getting into the endzone in 8 plays. Otherwise, the entire quarter was uneventful.

The second, however, was much different. Arizona State bullied their way 92 yards down the field in just four plays, as the offense ate up yards in gulps. They capped it with a touchdown pass from Paul Morton to Antonio Thompson to tie things up.

The offensive floodgates looked like they were now open, as the Seawolves drove to the Sun Devil 1 yard line. It was short lived though, as the Seawolves sputtered. A 4th and goal effort was stuffed, and the Seawolves left without points. Sonora, however, had other plans on the next drive. He gathered career long, a 36 yard run down to the Sun Devil 1 yard line. He punched it in on the next play for a 14-7 lead. It didn’t last long though, as the Sun Devils’ Andrew Tucker took the next handoff 75 yards for a touchdown to knot it up again.

Sonoma State, who had leaned on the run to this point, decided to try their hand going to the air. The results were disastrous for quarterback Brice Houston. He was intercepted, which resulted in an Arizona State field goal. He missed two passes on his next drive for a punt. Then, after hitting tight end Martee Smith for 31 yards, his next pass was intercepted again. Arizona State took a 17-14 lead into the locker room.

The Seawolves started the second half with a big bang. Safety Paul Roth jetted into the backfield to catch what was supposed to be an option toss to Ryan Hargrove. The play set the Seawolves up at the Sun Devil 18, and two quick runs by Alika Kalama put them in the endzone for a 21-17 lead. Unfazed by the mistake, Arizona State drove right down the field. On 3rd and 14, Morton hit receiver Jesse Hill for a 35 yard touchdown on blown coverage to retake the lead, 24-21.

Brice Houston’s next pass was intercepted by linebacker Adam Anderson, which set up another Arizona State field goal making it 27-21. It was Houston’s last pass on the day, as he was pulled from the game afterward.

True freshman Zach Bishop came in at quarterback for Sonoma State. Although he primary dished the ball to Sonora and Kalama, he directed a drive down the field. He went 2/2 on an 8 play, 75 yard drive which Sonora capped with yet another touchdown to take a 28-27 lead. The lead change apparently stressed the Sun Devil offense, and Morton tossed another errant option which was pounced on by Sonoma State’s Bo Downing. Bishop found his first collegiate touchdown pass two plays later, tossing a screen pass to A.C. Sonora who took it 36 yards for a touchdown. Sonoma State was now up 35-27.

Once again, Arizona State fought back. Morton timed a perfect toss on the option this time, giving running back Michael King a clear path to the endzone for a 42 yard touchdown. Once again, however, the pace of the game shifted. The defense stepped up to stop a two point conversion, and both offenses sputtered. Arizona State’s Paul Morton took matters into his own hands in the 4th quarter. He took an option keeper 10 yards for a touchdown with just 3:12 remaining. After a successful two point conversion, the Sun Devils were up 41-38.

Sonoma State needed a big drive if they had a hope of winning, and Alika Kalama delivered. On 2nd and two, he spun and fought off defenders for a 36 yard run to put Sonoma State within field goal range. A.C. Sonora then decided to put it away. On 2nd and 8, he took a stretch right, zigged and zagged, and found the end zone from 9 yards out. The 8 play drive spanned 79 yards and gave the Seawolves a 45-41 advantage with just 25 seconds left. The Sun Devils managed to move into range for a hail mary pass, but it was intercepted by true freshman David Lott to seal the win.

“We have a lot to work on, that’s for sure,” said Coach Wright. “I’m happy with the running game, but the passing game has some question marks,” he said of the offense. The running game was a crutch, but a good one. Sonora and Kalama combined for 300 yards on the day, with both gathering over 100. “They were phenomenal, everything we expected. We need to work out the rest though,” he said. Wright was not so quick to announce that Bishop was the new starter. “Well, we will see. It was limited action, and Brice [Houston] was definitely off. We’ll continue to analyze the situation,” said Wright.

Quick Notes
-Sonora and Kalama combined for 300 yards and both had career long runs of 36 yards
-Sonoma State forced 4 turnovers, but gave away three of their own
-Sonoma State’s receivers had just 6 catches combined

A Look Ahead
It’s a short week, as the Seawolves will return home to face Oregon at home. The programs last met in 2021, when Sonoma State traveled to Eugene. The then #8 Seawolves took the win, 28-21 over then #13 Oregon. Next week completes their home-and-home series, where Oregon looks for revenge.

Photo Gallery


ASU’s FB Andrew Tucker breaks right through the middle for a 75 yard touchdown


RB A.C. Sonora puts on the moves on this career long 36 yard run in the first half


Paul Roth is credited with a fumble recovery after essentially intercepting a toss on the option. The play set up an Alika Kalama touchdown to give the Seawolves a 21-17 lead in the 3rd


Blown coverage allowed ASU’s Jesse Hill to get wide open in the endzone to take a 24-21 lead


SSU’s QB Brice Houston throws his hands up in frustration after throwing his third interception on the day. He was pulled from the game afterward, and left wondering if he has a job next week


SSU CB Bo Downing goes all out to recover a fumbled pitch by ASU’s Paul Morton. It gave the Seawolves the ball back right after they took a 28-27 lead


QB Zach Bishop draws defenders in and dumps the screen pass to Sonora


Sonora catches the screen and finds a lane to the endzone for a touchdown, giving Bishop his first ever passing touchdown


ASU’s Michael King takes a well timed option toss 42 yards to the endzone


Seawolves CB Scott Evan’s gets a 4th quarter interception to set up a field goal, making it 38-33


MLB Howard Wyatt celebrates a 4th quarter sack with DT Marques George. The sack eventually set up a 3rd and long, but the Sun Devils converted and scored on the drive


RB Alika Kalama also had moves, and matched Sonora's career high with one of his own for the same 36 yards. Kalama's came on the game winning drive for the Seawolves


A.C. Sonora gets a perfect kickout block from FB Ashton Bailey to find the endzone, taking a 45-41 lead with just 25 seconds to go


True freshman CB David Lott, playing the dime position, gets his first career interception by picking off Arizona State’s Hail Mary


Box Score

Sonoma State Seawolves at Arizona State Sun Devils
Aug 26, 2023	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
#2 Sonoma State Seawolves (1-0)	7	7	21	10	45
#19 Arizona State Sun Devils (0-1)	0	17	16	8	41

Team Stats Comparison
	SSU	ASU
Total Offense	434	503
Rushing Yards	279	332
Passing Yards	155	171
First Downs	18	13
Punt Return Yards	35	0
Kick Return Yards	161	0
Total Yards	630	503
Turnovers	3 (3 int)	4 (2 fum, 2 int)
3rd Down Conversion	6/13	4/11
4th Down Conversion	0/1	0/0
2-Point Conversion	0/0	1/2
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5/0 (83%)	2/1 (100%)
Penalties	2/15	5/49
Possession Time	23:15	12:45

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		SSU	ASU
4:08	(SSU) TD: A. Sonora, 2 yard run	7	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		SSU	ASU
8:23	(ASU) TD: A. Thompson, 7 yard pass from P. Morton	7	7
4:01	(SSU) TD: A. Sonora, 1 yard run	14	7
3:50	(ASU) TD: A. Tucker, 75 yard run	14	14
1:46	(ASU) FG: K. Gatewood, 33 yard field goal	14	17
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		SSU	ASU
8:28	(SSU) TD: A. Kalama, 8 yard run	21	17
7:06	(ASU) TD: J. Hill, 35 yard pass from P. Morton	21	24
5:23	(ASU) FG: K. Gatewood, 45 yard field goal	21	27
1:25	(SSU) TD: A. Sonora, 1 yard run	28	27
0:46	(SSU) TD: A. Sonora, 36 yard pass from Z. Bishop	35	27
0:00	(ASU) TD: M. King, 42 yard run (2 point failed)	35	33
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		SSU	ASU
5:24	(SSU) FG: D. Hardin, 45 yard field goal	38	33
3:12	(ASU) TD: P. Morton, 10 yard run (2 point good)	38	41
0:24	(SSU) TD: A. Sonora, 9 yard run	45	41

Sonoma State Seawolves PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Z. Bishop 4/7 60 1 0 B. Houston 9/16 95 0 3 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD A. Sonora 28 172 6.1 4 A. Kalama 18 128 7.1 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD D. Highland 5 30 6.0 0 A. Sonora 4 56 14.0 1 A. Bailey 2 24 12.0 0 M. Smith 1 31 31.0 0 J. Ridgeway 1 14 14.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD S. Evans 8 0 1 0 H. Wyatt 7 1.0 0 0 J. Johnson 5 0 0 0 S. Crowell 5 0 0 0 M. Crawford 3 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG D. Hardin 1/1 6/6 9 45 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 R. Williams 3 101 33.6 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D. Myers 5 161 32.2 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D. Myers 3 35 11.6 0

Arizona State Sun Devils PASSING C/A YDS TD INT P. Morton 11/17 171 2 2 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD M. King 16 141 8.8 1 P. Morton 14 27 1.9 1 A. Tucker 5 165 33.0 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD R. Hargrove 3 22 7.3 0 M. King 2 13 6.5 0 J. Hill 2 83 41.5 1 M. McQueen 2 26 13.0 0 K. Williams 1 20 20.0 0 A. Thompson 1 7 7.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD I. Jenkins 11 2.0 0 0 C. Thomas 8 0 1 0 A. Dotson 8 1.0 0 0 J. Morris 5 0 1 0 A. Ander 4 0 1 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG K. Gatewood 2/3 3/3 9 46 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Z. Jefferson 3 125 41.6 0

Sonoma State Seawolves 2022 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Aug 26	at #19 Arizona State	Won, 45-41
Sep 1	vs Oregon
Sep 16	at #1 Oklahoma
Sep 23	vs Oklahoma State
Sep 30	at Fresno State (Rivalry game)
Oct 14	at Boise State
Oct 21	at Kansas
Oct 28	at #4 TCU
Nov 4	vs San Diego State (Rivalry)
Nov 11	at Texas Tech
Nov 18	vs #6 Texas
Nov 25	vs Baylor

[young22]

Nice dub. Passing game was bad as expected, but maybe Sonora and Kalama will be able to carry you guys after all. Didn't expect them to carry the load like that. Like the new jerseys as well!

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